Del Rey Oaks City Council race a polite one

For respite from polarized politics, the field of candidates for Del Rey Oaks City Council seats offers a portrait of friendly competition.

First of all, five-year Mayor Jerry Edelen is running unopposed for another two-year term. And the three candidates vying for two four-year seats on the City Council aren't about to break out any heavy ammunition like yard signs to push their campaigns.

"We'll beat the streets. With only 1,000 voters, you can make contact going door-to-door or through email," said Mike Ventimiglia, a former council member and current planning commissioner trying to return to the council.

Ventimiglia is up against incumbent Councilwoman Kristin Clark and fellow Planning Commissioner Scott Larson in the three-way race for two council seats. Current Councilman Mike Zuccaro isn't seeking re-election.

"It's a friendly campaign. No one is out for the jugular," Clark said.

In the next few years, the five-member council representing 1,600 Del Rey Oaks residents faces a potentially major milestone in the city's 59-year history — transforming 360 acres of former Fort Ord land into a bustling new part of the city.

Edelen said the city, tucked between Seaside and Monterey, has been beset for a long time by the lack of a revenue-generating commercial and business base. That stands to change as the Fort Ord land is woven into the city's fabric.

Edelen said he wants another term as mayor to continue "taking the city from where we can survive to where we can flourish."

He said Del Rey Oaks can position itself as a destination spot with the right kinds of "responsible, sustainable development." He also envisions a slow transformation of storage lockers and business offices along Canyon Del Rey Boulevard into a bonafide downtown for Del Rey Oaks.

Edelen also likes the idea of an equestrian facility on part of the city's Fort Ord land to tie into the nearby national monument land and proposed Monterey Downs project in Seaside.

"Once things are going, I would take a real smooth ride off into the sunset," he joked.

Ventimiglia spent 18 years on the City Council, but notices a big difference from those days around City Hall.

"It was very much of a good-old-boy" system back then, while city officials now are open and amenable to lively discussions, he said.

"(Edelen) is doing a marvelous job, and I get along with all the people on the council," Ventimiglia said.

He said his longstanding involvement in local politics and community affairs would bring valuable knowledge to the council. He said top issues would be getting the Fort Ord development rolling and new uses for the shuttered golf driving range.

Clark, too, wants to continue working on the Fort Ord development, but sees herself as an important link between City Hall and community residents.

"A lot of people have encouraged me to run. They really like having me on the council," said Clark, an active member of the city's Citizen's Action Group. "I really care about my little community."

Clark, who proudly states that one can walk anywhere in Del Rey Oaks within 10 minutes, said she wants a walking path that would run from the Safeway store at one end of the city to Stone Creek Village at the other.

She also would like to see a recreational-vehicle storage area near City Hall moved somewhere else. And she said many residents want to see utility lines moved underground, but that will take money.

"We can't do that until we get development going," she said.

Larson was encouraged to get involved in city politics by his friend, City Councilman Jeff Cecilio. "We've talked about the need to get energy and ideas in the air," he said.

Larson said his main interest is what the city does with its Fort Ord property, which he said is some of the best land in the county.

"I definitely don't want to see it turned into a strip mall like 'Anywhere in the U.S.A.,'" he said.

Larson likes the idea of developing a destination-style wine village on some of the Fort Ord land, with an amphitheater for concerts, weddings and other events.

He said he likes the idea of senior housing on some Fort Ord land, but he doesn't want to see too much of it planned for homes.

"We're about to do something great that is going to change the face of this city for decades," Larson said. "We are at a point where we need some real vision and leadership."